Friday, September 10, 2010

FF: Where are you, Emily Post?

It would appear that I am less etiquette-savvy than I might have believed just a week ago.  While I am quick to nag update my family on all things manners, I now find myself in embedded in situations where I am not certain of the correct response.  Perhaps you, dear reader, might be willing to help.  For example, what would  YOU do if...

...you witness a neighbor boy quietly making fun of a physically challenged student?

...you find yourself engaged in conversation with a stranger who thinks she knows you, but is mistaken in that thought and doesn't  realize it?

...a conference begins with the other person saying, "Oh boy! Here comes a hot flash."

...an adult student repeated approaches your lectern while apparently unaware that his fly is, shall we say, gaping?

...Google Earth takes a picture of your house for all the universe to see, but you may have parked your car crookedly the day the satellite image was taken?

...your child's doctor launches a blob of spit while talking to you and it lands directly in your eye?

...despite the doctor's best efforts, your husband has terrible insomnia and if he succeeds at falling asleep, will awaken if there is any noise or motion in the room,  AND your bladder is painfully full about 2:00AM?

...if a long-ago acquaintance calls your phone up to three times a day  every day, and you strategically do NOT answer until stricken with guilt you give in one day only to hear, "Hi. I really don't have anything to say..."

...you detest Weight Watchers?

...your child asks if your family is a bomb-making type of family?

So, dear reader, if you have advice, I am ready to hear all. Until then, I will be found commiserating with these fine people:

My Wee View

BoostMyBlogFriday

Mommy's Idea

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh dear - how awkward!

My only advice is to be gentle and truthful!

Cranberry Morning said...

My advice would be to get a good dark chocolate bar, a good book, curl up on the sofa, and try to forget about these issues. Maybe they'll go away.

Can you believe people actually think I'm a great problem solver?? :-)

Anonymous said...

hahaha, that bladder one made me laugh. I think some nights my hubs is ready to divorce me!

Here from boost my blog friday

Holyoke Home said...

Whoa. Whoooaaaaaa.

won said...

Let's see....the blob of spit? I'll just sit back and read the advice of others. I was the guilty party yesterday in talking with a lady at school, although it didn't land in her eye...thank goodness. I still didn't know what to do. Do I address the fact that I just spit on her, etc?

The boy making fun? Maybe he needs an education.

Other than that, I'm with cranberry. Chocolate helps with quite a bit!

I Am Woody said...

-Find something to make fun of the neighbor boy about?
-Go with it. And tell her a really tall tale!
-Start fanning.
-Laugh while saying "XYZ, PDQ..."
-Blame it on someone else.
-Find a new doctor. ASAP.
-Catheter? Also see above.
-Change your number.
-Bomb them.
-See above.

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

Well darn! I believe Woody has it all covered. Bless her heart! If all else fails you can move!
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One Photo said...

Hilarious. Strangers who mistake me for someone they know I correct so as to avoid having to continue talking with them. Open fly yes I would tell the boy. Yes I would still have to get up at 2:00am and often do. We do not have a home phone and one reason why is so that I don't have to talk to people when I don't want to :-) The bomb making question is an interesting one. Everything else, I would just keep quiet about I admit.

Busy Bee Suz said...

On the neighbor kid, call him out of this!!!!

Strangers always think they know me...can't help you there.

Hot flash? TMI

Zipper down? let them know that Walmart is OPEN and should be CLOSED.

Park better. :)

Spit in the eye? ewwww.

You have to pee when you have to pee. He will survive without getting WET. ;)

Still DON'T answer phone for such a person. You are much to busy

Well, do you make bombs?

betty said...

so many interesting dilemmas, definitely the boy making fun of the physically challenged student would cause me to intervene as my daughter is physically challenged and got teased lots in school; probably would call him on his action right then when I saw it and notify parent.

you know, I'm not doing Weight Watchers but I'm doing this remarkable plan that I've managed to stay on for almost 2 weeks now. I allow myself to eat anything and everything I want, but I have to measure out the portion size and record the calories of it. So if I want a chocolate bar, I record it, half of bag of chips, I measure it out and record it (neither have happened, but its what I'm allowing myself to do if I want those things). What I find are two things; my portion size what I used to eat and what is the real portion size was way off and I was eating more calories than I thought and I find by allowing myself to eat whatever I want to, I'm actually eating less and staying within a healthy calorie count for the day. It may take a year to lose the 40 pounds I want to loose, but I figure this time around maybe they will stay off :)

happy weekend!

betty

Kristin - The Goat said...

I've had people talk to me like they know me and then I find out that they really do!

Was that really the only day the car was crooked? LOL

Kristin - The Goat

claudia said...

I had to augh at the gentl but truthful answer. I am so far from being gentle and truthful...I usually go with the truthful, but in certain circumstances I do it as humorously as possible. Like pointing out the obvious. (Hot flash comment...ot your own personal summer? Yea!) As to the kid making fun of another. Oh no, he would basically get my wrath...quietly, but it would be wrath.

Mental P Mama said...

Wait. It's bad if your car is crooked?

Mrs4444 said...

Hmm. I LOL'd on the Google thing. At least you weren't laying out naked on your deck!haha (No, silly--neither was I!)

omg-Did all of that really happen to you this week?!

As for the student's insensitivity, I might ask, "Is that how your parents raised you? That surprises me." or maybe you weren't surprised?

Jientje said...

I know what it's like to have a small bladder, so yeah, I would probably wake the poor guy!

imbeingheldhostage said...

The car wasn't up on blocks on the lawn, I think you're good with that one.
The real question is, was the blob of spit large enough that the Google Earth camera could have caught it?

Lawyer Mom said...

Tee hee.

I'd tell on the mean boy.

And I'd let the woman who thought she knew you ramble on and on.